$150,000 funding for Wastebusters awards

Wanaka Wastebusters has received $150,000 of government funding to run its ''Unpackit Best and Worst Packaging Awards'' for a third year.

Wastebusters spokeswoman Gina Dempster said yesterday that meant the organisation could call for nominations from April 8.

Last year, it received 150 nominations, and public voting then determined the award for the best packaging should go to Bin Inn, which encouraged shoppers to reuse their own containers.

The award for the worst packaging went to Foodstuffs, for selling fruit and vegetables on polystyrene meat trays wrapped in plastic.

The 2013 awards will be announced in November. Much of the $150,000 - part of the Government's $4 million waste minimisation programme - would be spent on creating a ''grass-roots'' conversation about packaging and waste.

Ms Dempster is pictured with a recently completed wedding cake made from waste packaging.